Those Who Dream By Day
by moray
Summary: The Spirit Detectives are sent away on a vacation. Yusuke gets a headache because of rebounding energy, dampeners, and a screwed-up matrix... (rated for eventual violence and language)
1. Preface

**Hadst thou the wicked skill**

**By pictures made and mard to kill**

**How many ways mightist thou performe thy will?**

**-John Donne**

–†–

_It was cold and hard here. Lonely... not a soul, not even a little mouse. _

_If only he was... just... a... little... bit... stronger!_

_But that was impossible now. His strength had slowly ebbed away over the millennia, flowing away to the center._

_Balance had to be maintained._

_He never was very strong, and now he was comparable only to a lower-class spirit, demon, or ghost._

_He was one of those, called upon selectively. Never strong enough to physically protect. Never well enough known to be strong enough._

_He was a fool, a fall back, a weakling._

_A nothing._

_Nothing at all..._

_Just like his new home._

_He might as well be fond of it._


	2. Chapter One

**Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream by night.**

–**Edgar Allen Poe**

–†–

"Yusuke, as much as I hate to admit it, I have another job for you..."

"What is it? Nabbing another cat out of a tree for a demon lord?"

"That was taken upon yourselves by your own prerogative. Though, this mission does follow in the same spirit."

"Spit it out, Lord Pacifier Breath."

Keiko would have been so proud of him. He was getting politer.

"This is, in essence, a rescue mission." Koenma steepled his fingers, looking sternly at Yusuke over them. "Though, in practice it may be riskier."

"That's what you said about the Yukina mission, and look what happened."

"Well, you won't have to deal with the two Toguro bothers this time around–"

"Is that all they were to you? 'Bothers'?"

"Not at all. In retrospect, the entire debacle was vaguely amusing..."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"Yusuke, shut up."

Surprisingly, Yusuke _did_ shut up.

"Very good. Now..." Koenma flicked on his viewscreen. "You'll be going to Outworld this time, instead of just going to the Demon, Human, or Spirit Worlds. It's a rough trip, and tricky to get you exactly where you need to go."

Yusuke frowned at a haze of black and white. "A bitmap? Is that all this Outworld place is?"

Koenma sighed. "No-o. Not exactly. It doesn't usually register in any of the three stable worlds; I was hoping that it would, just for once."

"All right, so what's the deal? Why am I going someplace that I can't even see?"

"Because we're having a major problem in balancing the system."

"Huh?"

"The _system_, Yusuke. The entire set of algorithms that let the three worlds function as they should."

"It sounds like the math class I flunked out of."

Koenma his his head in his hands, either in embarrassment or annoyance. "Do I have to explain this to you?"

"Yep."

"Yusuke, you're worthless sometimes."

"Don't you just know it."

"Yes, I do know. Quite extensively. So shut up and pay attention so that I can talk to you and hope you'll actually _retain_ for once!" He took advantage of Yusuke gawking to continue: "You're well aware that our universe consists of three worlds and one ex-world. What you probably haven't grasped is that we also have a center and a boundary zone to keep the matrix stable. Power and energy constantly cycle throughout the confined zone, alternately being drawn and repelled from the center and rebounding off the zone. The center is inhabited by beings more powerful than your average god, deity, or demon. You won't have to worry about them. They're mostly ethereal and harmless, anyway.

"You _will_ have to worry about the denizens of the Outworld, the boundary. I know it sounds like a wall to keep energy in, but it's just another world that keeps energy in. It also makes a convenient holding zone for those not needed or those not wanted. Unfortunately, it also makes an all-too convenient hiding hole for those not wanting to be found or those who some maniacally evil super-villain has decided will languish forever, so on and so forth."

"You want us to rescue someone and kick some evil dude's butt?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Yusuke, have you even been paying attention?"

"Well, you never really explained 'why'," Yusuke pointed out, almost reasonably.

Koenma huffed around his pacifier. "You have to rescue a certain trapped spirit from confinement. Our data is inconclusive on who exactly trapped him, but he needs to be released. The energy vortex throughout the three worlds is becoming unbalanced due to his imprisonment. It's fluctuating too wildly for the dampeners to do their job properly."

"Dampa-wha?"

"Honestly, Yusuke, don't you have _eyes_? Energy dampeners; they ease out the fluctuation in power on the days where it's worst. Namely, the solstices and equinoxes. Whoever this is, his captivity is really screwing up the matrix."

"Matrix?"

Koenma waved impatiently. "Have Kurama explain it to you. I don't have the time."

"Look here, kid. I want answers, and I'm not going to make that fox do it! Knowing him, he'd probably just say, 'go figure it out on your own, Yusuke.' Besides, he's..."

"Going with you," Koenma said calmly, trying not to show his irritation. "As are the other two. Honestly, get a brain and use it."

"That wasn't what I was going to say!" Yusuke squawked indignantly. "Besides, do they even have _plants_ in that place?"

"Yusuke, do you even have any concept of what's going on?"

"Sorta..."

"Good. Give this to Hiei and Kurama and you'll be fine." He pointed to an envelope. "They'll be able to explain more fully. Now, get out before something falls apart."

"Waitaminnit! How the hell are we supposed to _get_ there!"

"One of Botan's associates is accustomed to traveling in non-space. And I'm sure Hiei is aware of the techniques to travel, even if he isn't a master of them. There's a good chance that you'll get where you need to go."

"And what happens if we get screwed around?"

"Then you'll have quite a bit of traveling to do on foot."

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I know I'm using a romanization of Yusuke's name that a lot of people don't like, but hear me out on this. -rolls out chalkboard- From those who read my Count Cain fic, here comes... Lesson-Time!

The name is usually romanized as 'Yosuke', but Yusuke has a different kanji: he uses 'yu' as in 'spirit' or 'poltergeist', the same as in the title. Therefore the double u in 'Yuusuke' is redundant. I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying it's not needed because of a) the time it takes (actually, yes, it does take time in protracted writing) and b) there is already a differentiate in the name by using the 'yu' kanji instead of the 'yo'. My opinion is, if you use Yuu Yuu Hakusho, it's okay, but if you use Yu Yu Hakusho, you'd better be using 'Yusuke'. It's the same kanji, for crying out loud, so you should be using the same romanization.

Have I bored you yet? Good!

And my apologies for the Exposition Chapter of Doom. It's slightly important for what happens later. Yusuke is invaluable for


End file.
